


Two in a Million

by PorterHawk



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, RWBY
Genre: Based of AU by ChrisRainicorn, Beacon is a school for Pokémon trainers, F/M, Fluff, Humor, Pyrrha is in an advanced course, Pyrrha is on an adventure, Pyrrha is trying her best, Some Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-24
Updated: 2020-10-17
Packaged: 2021-03-03 05:34:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 14,013
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24345853
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PorterHawk/pseuds/PorterHawk
Summary: (Pokemon AU) Pyrrha is one of the greatest competitive Pokémon trainers at Beacon Academy. Her skill has earned her a spot in a very advanced, very unique course. She’s out in the wilderness studying high level Pokémon, and it takes a frivolous choice to give her the biggest challenge of her life.
Relationships: Jaune Arc/Pyrrha Nikos
Comments: 19
Kudos: 20





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [One in a Million](https://archiveofourown.org/works/24308359) by [ChrisRainicorn](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChrisRainicorn/pseuds/ChrisRainicorn). 



> This is a fic based on ChrisRainicorn’s recently published Pokémon story. It’s more so a direct sequel, so if you haven’t read that story First you should!
> 
> https://archiveofourown.org/works/24308359
> 
> ChrisRainicorn also beta read this chapter and gave input so the worlds aligned better, so a big thank you to her for being awesome!

“Fury Swipes!” Pyrrha threw her hand forward with the command, her Furret rushing towards his opponents with a loud cry.

“Use Protect!” Jaune called out to his Aron. The small Pokémon shimmered with a blue light right as the Furret intercepted, keeping her safe from the sharpened claws. Furret hopped back assuming a battle stance right as a Totadile leapt up from behind him.

“Water gun Totodile!” Nora cried. The small alligator shot out a spout of water doing double damage to Aron. The small creature was knocked onto her back, unable to flip over without help. “Gotcha now!” The girl laughed. Pyrrha’s Furret went in for another round of Fury Swipes, only for an Abra to teleport in blocking his path.

“Intercept with Shadow Ball!” Ren shouted. Abra threw the dark orb before Furret could close the distance. The two attacks collided, the resulting force knocking them both backwards.

The four students were battling in Beacon’s training arena after classes, and the teams decided to switch up their partners for this battle. Pyrrha was in the zone, her mind hyper-focused on the action before her, using a Pokémon that rarely saw battle. It was a small challenge for her, one that she didn't encounter nowadays.

“Hyper Voice!” She commanded. Furret didn’t hesitate, jumping beside Totodile and letting out a harsh scream. The noise was enough to send Aron and Abra tumbling backwards, and their hit points dropping to zero was enough to call the match.

“Aww, man. You guys won again.” Jaune chuckled with slight nervousness. His Aron was quick to start struggling once he used a potion on her. Jaune had to tip her upright again, just so she could scamper off to the other end of the field.

“It was an excellent match.” Ren nodded respectfully, scooping his Abra off the ground. The thing had already fallen back asleep in his arms. Furret cooed with excitement at the victory while Totodile did a happy jig.

“Sorry, everyone.” Pyrrha twiddled her fingers nervously. She did it again. This wasn’t a serious match, simply a way for Jaune, Ren and Nora to level up their weaker Pokémon. She originally wasn’t going to try that hard, but using her Furret in combat was so rare she couldn’t help herself. She considered him more like a pet than a trained competition battler. He was great for companionship and snuggling after a long day, and usually didn't show interest in fighting like her other Pokémon did. When she explained why she needed his help for today’s training, of course Furret was excited to give it his all. Sadly that also defeated the purpose of this match. “Furret is the lowest level Pokémon I have.” Said Pokémon chirped and ran up to Pyrrha for neck rubs, the redhead quickly obliging.

“We can consider it the perfect send-off victory before your special trip then!” Nora smiled.

“R-right… the trip.” Pyrrha looked away sheepishly. It was a touchy subject. Professor Goodwitch personally recommended her for this advanced level course, saying it would be a very beneficial experience for her, especially since this class wasn’t team oriented. She was the only sophomore allowed in this course thanks to her skill and the strength of her Pokémon, which meant none of her friends could join her. That included Jaune, something he was clearly bummed about, though he wouldn’t admit to it. He was too good of a boyfriend to make her feel bad intentionally. It was obvious when he thought she wasn’t looking though. His whole demeanor was more sluggish, while his Pokémon started working extra hard to get stronger. It’s as if they thought quickly leveling was all Jaune needed before he could go with her, but sadly it was far more complicated.

“You leave tomorrow?” Ren questioned.

“Yes.” She said shortly, not expecting a reassuring hand to be put on her shoulder. Jaune was watching her with a hint of worry.

“Are you okay Pyrrha? You seem off.” He questioned.

“Y-yes… I’m just a little nervous.”

‘And I wish you could come with me.’ She thought that last part to herself. Jaune chuckled a little.

“Okay, who are you and what have you done with my girlfriend?” He said teasingly. “Pyrrha Nikos is the toughest, bravest person I know. She would never let a little trip get the better of her.” She couldn’t stop herself from giggling. God, how did she end up with a sweet guy like him?

“I don’t know l- OH!” Pyrrha was pushed forward into Jaune’s arms. She glanced down to see Furret wrapped around both of their legs and looking at them knowingly. “Rude.” She couldn’t help but smile at its innocent chirps. The two were bracing each other now and they were mere inches from each other and all she needed to do was lean in-

Totodile squawked loudly making them both jump back. Aron had nipped his tail hoping to play, and the two were now chasing each other around the arena. Meanwhile, Nora watched the couple with a massive grin while Ren bounced Abra in his arms trying to hide a small smirk.

“M-maybe we should head to dinner soon.” Pyrrha suggested hoping her face wasn’t blushing too badly. There was no chance of Jaune hiding it. His face was as red as her hair, and he genuinely looked like he wanted to crawl in a hole and hide.

“T-that sounds like a great idea!” He croaked. Nora couldn’t stop herself from cackling at the scene, while Ren just shook his head and looked away.

“Come on you two! It’s taco night and we don’t wanna be late!” Nora recalled her Totodile and skipped to the door. Ren gave Jaune and Pyrrha knowing looks before following, Abra still sprawled out in his arms. They all headed to the cafeteria, Pyrrha eager to enjoy the last night with her friends before the trip.

Roaring chopper blades and the harsh winds they produced overwhelmed her senses, and all she could do was watch as the landscape below them changed from farmland to more forested mountains. Glynda had given her instructional speech already, briefing the students in what they were doing out here.

“Relax Pyrrha. You look ready to keel over.” Coco nudged her and laughed. She, along with her team members, was all in the same class as her, and the fashionista couldn’t help teasing her for being the only sophomore.

“Don’t worry about me.” She smiled. 

“Stop that Coco.” Velvet frowned. “We’re all a little nervous. This is a pretty big step.”

“Not for me.” Coco smirked. “This will be a breeze, right Fox?” She nudged her partner. He just shook his head at her comments, far more focused on staying balanced in the shaky aircraft. The two started bantering back and forth leaving Pyrrha to her thoughts.

The group was in search of high level Pokémon, of which they were to observe and study much like field researchers for the entire week. Pokémon of such levels were dangerous for normal scientists to simply observe, so trainers were often employed as bodyguards against any aggressive threats. The idea was to introduce trainers to the research field, though it would also require survival tactics and relying on her Pokémon to get around obstacles. 

All of the coursework for this class leading up until now had been focused on survival and wilderness training, as well as methods of research and recording data. It was very different from anything she’d done so far at Beacon, but she wouldn’t say it was a bad experience either. 

So far anyway.

Pyrrha zipped her jacket up so the stand up collar hugged her neck. It was a deep red with bronze accents, easy to spot if a rescue was needed. Her black shorts and tall hiking boots were also meant to make the journey easier, though she could confidently say she’d never been to such extreme terrain before. Her bag was stuffed full with food and camping supplies, and a sleeping bag was strapped tightly above it. 

She was ready.

“This is the drop off point.” Professor Goodwitch instructed over the howling of propellers. Her Murkrow rested comfortably on her shoulder completely unfazed by the bullhead, looking over all of the students judgingly. “Take your flying Pokémon down into the mountains, find your research subjects, and only send a distress signal if necessary. Do I make myself clear?”

“Yes Ma’am!” All nine students said in unison.

“Very good. Everyone descends one at a time. Miss Coco?”

“Sure thing teach.” Coco soluted before sauntering to the edge of the bullhead. She released her Staraptor from its Poké Ball, the thing sporting a brown scarf matching the one it’s owner wore. Grabbing a gold ring from her belt, Coco held it up for Staraptor to grab. “Adieu, everyone!” She blew a kiss to Pyrrha specifically and jumped, the bird carrying her down to the surface. The other classmates left similarly. Fox took his Noctowl to the mountain while Yatsuhashi rode his Tropius. Summoning her Altaria, Velvet turned to Pyrrha and waved nervously.

“Good luck Pyrrha! Text if you need help or anything.”

“I appreciate the concern, but I’m sure I can handle it.” She smiled politely. Velvet was out of the bullhead within a few seconds, the other four upperclassmen jumping shortly after.

“Your turn Miss Nikos.” Professor Goodwitch motioned for her to approach. She did so with the poise that was hammered into her growing up. Champions didn’t let nerves show. This was a simple task for her, nothing too out of her comfort zone. Professor Goodwitch said so herself, and she trusted her instructor fully.

Releasing her Garchomp from its ball she latched onto her back and the two dove. Wind was making her hair whip in every direction threatening to pull her ponytail loose. The trees below were getting closer and closer while her stomach did a somersault from the free fall. Garchomp opened up her arms letting the wind catch her fins. She couldn’t fly necessarily, but she could glide like no other, and the two traveled the circular wind patterns until finally making touchdown in a small clearing.

“Nice landing GarGar.” Pyrrha smiled giving her land shark a thankful scritch on the neck. She growled low in gratitude, taking the chance to survey the area. These were some of the largest trees she'd seen in Vale, the calls and chatter of wild Pokémon mixing with the rustling of leaves making a melodic tune only found in such old woods.

“I saw some meadows near the base of the mountain.” Pyrrha commented while pulling up a map on her scroll. “Plenty of Pokémon live in grassy areas, so I think that will be our best bet in finding something.” Garchomp rumbled in agreement, and the two walked into the dark woods following Pyrrha’s compass. They spotted a few Caterpie happily munching on leaves during the walk, and even came across a Heracross licking some sap from a tree. Butterfree and Ledian were buzzing in the air above her, and she could hear other types trying to call over each other, but their sounds were too intertwined to separate what Pokémon they belonged to. She was sure to give all of them a wide berth of room. Even if she was looking for Pokémon to study, she didn’t want to focus on bug types if she could help it. They had always creeped her out, even if she was pretty good at not letting her concern show. Just the thought of sleeping with THIS many insects above her sleeping bag made her skin crawl, and that feeling intensified when passing a few Spinarak making webs closer to the forest floor. Having Garchomp by her side did put her mind at ease. At least a little bit.

Before long their progress was blocked by a wall of thick vines, too much for either her or Garchomp to bite or claw through. She was going to need something sharper to get through this.

“Garchomp, return.” She held the Poké Ball up recalling her Pokémon. “Go, Aegislash.” She tossed an Ultra Ball into the air with the Pokémon taking form. As the light cleared it revealed the unique coloration that this shiny Aegislash possessed. The dark grey blade with red accenting glinted in the small amount of light penetrating the treetops, and it was quick to turn to Pyrrha for instruction.

“Use night slash on these vines. We need to clear a path.” She pointed to the obstacle in question. Aegislash didn’t hesitate, flipping into blade form and slicing through the vines like they were nothing more than tissue paper. Stepping forward Pyrrha hummed happily. “Thank you, that makes this far easier.” The Aegislash bounced satisfied with the praise, easily returning to its Poké Ball without complaint. She continued onwards, keeping her eyes out for Pokémon despite the thoughts spiralling through her mind.

She just knew Jaune would have loved this trip. The scenery was breathtaking and awe inspiring all at once. Everything from the little movements of bug Pokémon along the ground to the bird Pokémon singing in the canopy above added to the mystery and magic this very old forest seeped with. This was almost romantic, and she couldn’t help but pout at what could have been. Perhaps a traveling companion would be better than walking alone after all, and with thoughts of her boyfriend, she could only pick a certain special one. Pulling the Luxury Ball off her belt Pyrrha summoned the Pokémon it held. A shiny Absol stood proudly, its piercing green eyes quickly meeting her own. Jaune had gifted this Pokémon to commemorate a year passing since the two started training together, and she couldn’t have been happier. They even became a couple that same night, and she still considered it one of the best days of her life.

“Hello, Absol.” She smiled and gave him a kind scratch on the neck. “I was just hoping for a traveling companion. Would you mind walking with me?” The Absol nodded in response, falling into a nice rhythm with Pyrrha as they traversed the root covered forest. It was a quiet walk for a while, the two crossing a small stream and climbing a few downed trees in their path. Absol seemed to sense something was bothering her, giving Pyrrha a questioning nudge on the hand.

“I’m sorry.” She smiled tightly. “I didn’t mean to worry you. I just have… a lot on my mind. That’s all.” He wasn’t giving up, nudging her arm again wanting her to speak. She brought this on herself she supposed. 

“It’s just… I know this whole class is individually focused and all, not our regular teams… I just wish Jaune could have come too.” Pyrrha sighed. Absol huffed knowingly. “Yeah, he has been really down about not coming, especially since my classmates are here with their partners. Well, ‘with their partners’ isn’t entirely accurate.” She grinned a little. During their in-class lectures, she was quick to notice the entire class was made up of partners. Fox and Coco were combat partners, as were Velvet and Yatsuhashi. She was the only one there without a teammate, and it did bother her a little truth be told. Jaune caught onto her distress early on, and attempted to enter the course too.

Professor Goodwitch turned him away, saying he wasn’t a strong enough trainer for this class. It bothered him more than he liked letting on. He thrived better with positive feedback, and sadly Goodwitch was an expert on telling harsh realities. Now she was worried about her boyfriend while still having an assignment to complete. 

Absol’s soft growl brought her back to reality. “Sorry!” She twiddled her fingers nervously. “I’m just wondering if there’s a way I can help cheer Jaune up.” That wasn’t a bad idea honestly. Sure, just cuddling together was enough to make his day, but that was so simple and easy to do. He deserved something more meaningful than that. What should she get him though? Another nudge on her arm brought her attention back to Absol. The quadruped spun gracefully in a circle, meeting her eyes again waiting. Pyrrha had to stop for a moment. He was such a beautiful Pokémon. Jaune really should have kept this Absol for himself. Shinies were such a rare find, and he didn’t have a full team of Pokémon yet-

“Oh!” She gasped a little at the thought. “You think I should get him a Pokémon in return!” Absol nodded, happy to get his point across. “It’s the perfect idea!” It would be like returning the favor for the beautiful Absol he gifted her without a second thought, while also bringing his Pokémon count to six. He could finally have a full team, and she was very good at finding Pokémon with plenty of potential. It was just a matter of selecting the perfect one for him.

“Hmmm…. he doesn’t have any flying Pokémon. Perhaps a Trapinch would be a good choice.” She thought aloud. It would eventually evolve into a beautiful Flygon, and they’d be able to travel the skies together. But she wasn’t near any desert terrain, so she’d have to travel pretty far before finding any. A trip to Vacuo now of all times was out of the question. 

Absol pushes her sideways before she could trip on a large root she had neglected to watch for. 

“Sorry.” She apologized again. “I don’t think a Trapinch is a viable option given where they live… but maybe a Dunsparce would do instead?” Jaune had told her before that they are one of his favorite Pokémon. Their dopey eyes, tiny wings and big heads made him feel an odd kinship with them, according to his word at least. She was sure they could be found around here. It wouldn’t be too hard to locate a den, catch one and continue with her assignment. 

“Dunsparce it is.” She nodded to herself. The trees were starting to thin ahead letting more let enter the forest too. They were finally nearing the meadow. This would be a great area to look for Dunsparce too. Maybe she could even use them as her study subjects. The two peered into the meadow seeing a herd of Deerling grazing with two Sawsbuck watching over them. Several Pidgey and Sparrow fluttered around the field chasing after bug Pokémon, and she even spotted a Nickit sneaking through the grass.

“These are lower level Pokémon then I was expecting…” Pyrrha commented. Professor Goodwitch warned that they would be studying Pokémon between levels forty and fifty, but Pidgey should evolve by level eighteen. This couldn’t be right. Pulling up her map she examined it closely, finally noting that the meadow was a mile outside of the selected study zone.

“Sorry Absol. It looks like I took us the wrong way.” She said thoughtfully taking another look around the meadow. “Though we can still look for Dunsparce here. We don’t need to turn around right away.” She turned to the Pokémon questioningly, Absol nodding in agreement before stalking into the tall grass. Pyrrha followed suit, hoping this detour wouldn’t be in vain.

With a tired sigh, Pyrrha sat heavily on a downed log. That was fruitless. She didn’t spot any Dunsparce whatsoever. There was a small stream that she collected water from, along with what appeared to be a game trail cutting through the meadow. Otherwise, she couldn’t find any signs of Dunsparce colonies in this particular area.

Absol took a seat next to her, also clearly tired as the sun started to set above them.

“I’m sorry boy.” Pyrrha scratched his head. “This was a total waste of time, and it’s too dark to travel much further tonight.” She didn’t like it, but once it got darker it would be unsafe to navigate through the woods. After the trek over massive tree roots just to get down here, she would probably break an ankle within the first few minutes of night falling in that mess. 

Unzipping her bag, Pyrrha pulled out a sandwich she made before the bullhead left Beacon, handing half of it to Absol while keeping the other for herself. The two both scarfed down their sandwiches, Pyrrha topping it off with a long refreshing sip from her canteen. After catching her breath she stood up slinging the bag back over her shoulder.

“Alright. Let’s clear some grass and make a campsite.” Her and Absol turned to the knee high grass of the meadow before them. “Use Psycho Cut.” Absol did as instructed, chopping the grass down too only a few inches so they could rest. She wasn’t in the mood to make a fire tonight, and all she really cared for was sleeping off her exhaustion. They will be traveling uphill tomorrow, and she knew the climb was going to be a slow and rough one. Rolling out her sleeping bag, Pyrrha crawled into its folds, Absol curling up next to her chest. It was completely dark now, Pyrrha rolling over to hold Absol in her sleep, running her fingers through his course pinkish colored fur as she thought about her quest.

She knew her main focus needed to be on finding Pokémon to research, but her mind couldn’t help falling back to her side quest. Perhaps a Dunsparce wouldn’t work out, seeing as finding them was proving rather difficult. But what would be a good substitute? Jaune had always loved her Aegislash since meeting it during a training session. It was shortly after they became partners, and she could still remember how much his eyes sparkled at its shimmering beauty, and the many many questions he had about it. A Honedge would definitely make him happy. The only problem was the methods to get one.

They are literally departed souls that inhabit the swords used to slay them in life, so the only real place to find them was very old ruins and battlefields. That’s how she found her shiny Honedge, which eventually evolved into Aegislash. There weren’t any battlefields around here that she knew of though, so that entire idea was a bust too.

Maybe she should leave it up to fate instead? Focus on her main goal, and if the chance arose to catch Jaune a Pokémon, she’d take it. Otherwise it wasn’t meant to be. That would give her the best peace of mind at least.

“Goodnight, Absol.” She yawned. “We’ll be ready to move first thing tomorrow morning.” She couldn’t wait any longer to find her subject of research, and hopefully the new day would bring better successes.

A wet nose to her cheek earned a groan in response. Pyrrha tried pushing the offender away, but he seemed too persistent to give up.

“What is it?” She groaned, peaking an eye open. The moon was full and visible, darkly illuminating that area just enough for Pyrrha to make out her Pokémon’s face. He growled low, pushing a paw to her mouth and listening intently. 

It was then she heard the sound of footfall, and it was close. Her eyes snapped completely open. She quietly crawled out of her sleeping bag, looking to Absol for instruction. He could see better in the dark then she could, and the last thing she wanted was to step on an aggressive Pokémon.

Absol looked in the direction of the noise. He was low to the ground ready to pounce, but nothing about his posture was aggressive. Just very on edge. 

Creeping slowly forward, she parted the taller sections of grass, seeing what had Absol nervous. At some point a flock of Galarian Farfetch’d and Sirfetch’d had hunkered down in the grass only a few feet away from her, the majority of them sleeping peacefully while a few of them walked around standing guard. She pulled back, trying to keep her breathing steady. These were some strong Pokemon, she could tell by the ease they slept and how unconcerned the ones on guard were. Even with her high level team, this would be a hard fight to escape if it came to that. For her to survive an onslaught of forty Farfetch’d and Sirfetch’d, and when this close to the flock too.

She looked over to Absol and slowly moved back, not bothering to retrieve her lantern or sleeping bag. Hopefully she could grab those when the flock finally moved on. The two krept back to the forest edge, either the Pokémon on guard not noticing or not seeing them as enough of a threat to raise the alarm. She picked a tree at least ten yards from the clearing and settled, unable to get farther without tripping on a root. She crouched down ready to move if needed, and Absol stood guard in case the bird Pokémon approached.

It felt like an eternity. She wasn’t able to fall back asleep, and her legs were getting sore from being in that same position for too long. She slowly adjusted, freezing at the noises her boots made against the dirt. In her head, she knew it wasn’t loud at all, but the long bout of silence along with her nerves made every small shift of dirt seem like a siren. Absol caught onto her worry, walking over and nuzzling her hand reassuringly. 

Right. She wasn’t alone. Even if the battle would be tough, her Pokémon would never let her down. The sky was gradually lightening from black to a dark blue, the sun slowly peeking over the mountaintops. She exhaled and let her shoulders relax a bit, deciding to stand up before her legs fell asleep. On the way up she spotted something. Despite the dim light, she could vaguely make out what looked like a movement of yellow.

Farfetch’d didn’t come in yellow though. She couldn’t think of many Pokémon with the nerve to approach a high level flock like this, so what was it?

Against her better judgment she decided to investigate. Sneakily, she and Absol crept closer to the Pokémon, Pyrrha careful to feel around the ground to avoid tripping. Peering through the bushes both of them were taken aback.

“W-what?” She gawked, unable to believe what she was seeing. The large leak held erect and proudly was unmistakable though, even with the odd coloration. It was a SirFetch’d, a proud one with shimmering golden feathers. It’s leak had some yellowing near the base of the stem, indicating it wasn’t young, though definitely not a senior either. Scars and scratches speckled it’s face and leaf shield revealing a long life of combat, and it wore its experience with pride.

It was beautiful.

And it was perfect.

She found the Pokémon she wanted to give Jaune.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pyrrha does her best to befriend the flock of bird Pokémon and learn their ways.
> 
> Meanwhile other plot stuff happens at Beacon.

“Okay, Pyrrha. You’ve got this.” She chanted under her breath. It had been a long time since she actively went out and caught a Pokémon. Of course her first time getting into it again had to be under these conditions. Not far from a flock of Pokémon that could turn and attack her as soon as she started battling. It was a bad spot to be in, and the risk of outright challenging this Pokémon currently outweighed the pros.

Maybe she could follow the shiny and see where it goes? If she was lucky it might stray further from the rest of the flock, or they are all traveling together and she’d need to tail the entire group of Farfetch’d. Then again, that might tackle two Pidgey with one stone. If she followed the flock she could use them as her subjects of research. On top of that, she might be able to gain their trust. Then she could challenge the shiny without the rest of the Farfetch’d getting aggressive. Of course this Pokémon may not want to battle her, but it was worth a try. Pyrrha Nikos never backed out of a challenge!

Pulling out a small notebook she flipped to a blank page and began writing. She would have preferred recording on her scroll, but she feared the brightness of it would spook the shiny.

‘Monday, 6:35 a.m.

I decided on a Pokémon to study, or rather a flock of Pokémon. While sleeping the previous night, I was awoken to find at least thirty Galarian Farfetch’d and SirFetch’d hunkered down in the same meadow only a few feet away from me. I haven’t had a chance to do a proper count of the group since it was so dark when I spotted them, but now that daylight approaches I plan to follow them from a distance and see where they are traveling-’

“Squawk!” Pyrrha jumped up nearly dropping her pen. The shiny SirFetch’d had taken notice of her and Absol, readying its shield and leek spear for a fight.

“W-Wait!” Pyrrha waved her arms placatingly. “I’m sorry to disturb you. I didn’t come to fight, I just need to study wild Pokémon for a few days.” SirFetch’d were known for being very honorable. In theory, as long as she didn’t engage in combat then it wouldn’t attack… hopefully. She never actually worked with these Pokémon before.

The SirFetch’d seemed to consider her words, looking between her and the Absol standing ready at her side. “If it isn’t any trouble… could I possibly study your flock? Just for the week!” She added hastily. SirFetch’d clacked its beak at Absol, while her Pokémon growled and barked as if communication with the bird. Whatever Absol told it, the SirFetch’d seemed to get a kick from. Smiling smugly the Pokémon turned and walked back towards the main flock. 

“What was that about?” Pyrrha asked. Absol growled a few more times and nodded, the champion attempting to decipher his moves before following it back towards the meadow. She stopped at the treeline, seeing the shiny SirFetch’d with some of the others, quaking and squawking at one another. They all turned around noticing Pyrrha watching them, but the reception wasn’t hostile like she expected. Though they minded her with caution, the Pokémon went about their business giving her the side-eye every so often. They honestly seemed warier of Absol then her, but as long as it didn’t leave her side they tolerated him. SirFetch’d turned around and smirked at her, it’s golden feathers shining even more with the rising sun.

“Thank you!” She smiled. “I promise to stay out of your way.” SirFetch’d went about its business waking the rest of the flock. Pyrrha couldn’t help but jump a little with excitement. This SirFetch’d must be very high in the ranks to convince the rest of the flock to let her follow. Not only that, convincing it was surprisingly easy. Had this Pokémon been around humans before? If it had she would have expected anger and mistrust, despite the chivalrous nature most SirFetch’d adhered to. Being a shiny, it would definitely be a target for trainers.

“Fate has truly brought us to something special. Don’t you think?” She asked Absol. He nodded his head in acknowledgment, the two heading out to grab their abandoned supplies before the flocked moved on.

XxxxxxxxxX

The flock marched onwards for several hours, Pyrrha already sweating from the uphill climb but still keeping up. Absol was close by, putting himself between her and the Farfetch’d just in case. The shiny SirFetch’d was also putting itself between Absol and it’s family, apparently out of a sense of duty for letting her follow. She was sure to make note of it, on the rare occasion she got to write.

They only stopped twice during their all day climb, and she was forced to scribble down her notes during those brief respites. She couldn’t believe how determined these birds were. This must be a regular treck for them. If the sheer determination of the whole flock meant anything.

“May I ask where you are headed?” Pyrrha questioned the shiny. It pointed upwards when they came to a clearing, at a massive waterfall way farther up the mountain. “I see…” That was a long way up. They’d be climbing for a couple more days at least to reach it. Absol sighed when he realized how far they still had to go.

“What’s wrong, boy?” Pyrrha breathed teasingly. “Don’t tell me you’re getting tired? I thought you lived on a cliff.” Absol just puffed his chest out and walked quicker, Pyrrha giggling at his attitude. It was enough to carry them both until evening.

The sound of rushing water had been filling the air for a while now, and soon she spotted the source. The flock was coming to a stop next to a sizable river, at least twelve feet across with slow sloshing water flowing through it. A few Poliwhirl on the opposite bank quickly swam away not wanting anything to do with the flock. After her experience that morning Pyrrha really couldn't blame them either, as she originally felt the same.

The flock quickly got comfortable along the riverbank, settling in and putting their leeks to their mouths. Pyrrha quickly pulled her notepad out and started writing.

‘Monday, 7:28 PM,

The flock has settled along a riverbank, after nearly twelve hours of continuous walking. They’ve all started eating the tips of their leeks for food. Though some continue giving me the side-eye, others seem completely unconcerned by my presence. Hopefully, my Pokémon and I can get a good night's rest.’

And meal now that she thought about it. Her stomach felt like inverting from how empty it was, which was the unfortunate thing about following such an active group of Pokémon.

“Well, if this is where the flock is resting for the night.” Pyrrha walked down the river several yards so her actions wouldn’t be mistaken as threatening to the Farfetch’d. This was a beautiful place, and all of her Pokémon needed a chance to eat and stretch. Pulling out her Pokeballs she released all six into the open. Her Gyarados noticed the water immediately, taking a dive into the current and relaxing happily on several jutting boulders. Metagross and Aegislash were quick to stretch out and move, while her Absol, Garchomp and Blaziken stood ready and waiting for instruction. 

“We’re setting up camp here, and we need materials to start a fire. Do you mind helping me collect wood?” All of her Pokémon set out to the woods immediately, all except for Gyarados. She shook her head and approached him, the dragon opening one eye and acting put off by her approach.

“Not feeling up to helping?” She asked. Gyarados growled and shifted slightly, Pyrrha unable to stop herself from chuckling. She scratched behind his facial fin earning a slightly more satisfied growl, the dragon rolling over on his side so she could reach easier. He was always so lazy, and only ever put real effort in when she demanded him to. At least Gyarados was a true beast when it came to battles, even if he was a grumpy gills the rest of the time.

“I’ll go ahead and get the fire pit set up. We’ll let you know when the food is ready.” Gyarados grumbled when her hand stopped massaging but didn’t protest further, letting her get to work on collecting rocks. Once several decently sized ones were gathered she set them in a circle and started clearing away the foliage and grass. She couldn’t risk starting a fire on the grass, unless she wanted to catch the mountain on fire. By the time she was done setting up her cooking pot and fire pit, the wood collectors had returned. Garchomp and Blaziken had collected larger pieces of wood while Absol carried smaller kindling in his mouth. 

“Thank you! Now let’s get this started.” She smiled. “Mind lending your flame Blaziken?” The Pokémon in question stepped forward, waiting for her to arrange the wood as she wanted before shooting a small stream of flames onto it. The pile was already crackling from the heat, and she knew this task was well in hand. 

“Excellent!” She grinned and took out her packages of food items. Sweet bean medley curry sounded great right about now, and it would be nice to use up some of her heavier food items before the mountain got any steeper. Throwing a can of beans in with several Sitrus and Mago berries she stirred up her concoction, all of her Pokémon gathering closer at the delightful smell. Even her Gyarados came over, too hungry to wait for much longer.

“First helping is almost done, everyone. I’ll get to yours next, Gyarados.” Between him and Metagross they could easily consume everything in her bag if she wasn’t careful. The blue dragon snarled at having to wait and curled up to sulk, Garchomp shaking her head at his tantrum. Meanwhile, Blaziken sat down to meditate while it waited. Absol just laid next to Pyrrha watching Metagross and Aegislash settle in for a nap. It was hard to believe sometimes that all of her Pokémon were league level fighters, but she could safely say she’d never lost a match with her team.

She didn’t rest until all of her Pokémon were chowing down happily, finally taking the chance to eat a bit for herself. Before she could take a bite a questioning squawk got her attention. A dozen of the Farfetch’d had gotten curious from the scent of food, and they were all currently watching her warily. The shiny was off to the side, standing ready in case she tried anything.

“Sorry! Please don’t mind me! I’m just… making dinner!” Pyrrha smiled and waved. One of the Farfetch’d finally got too curious and approached her Gyarados, only for it to roar angrily at having its food getting threatened. 

“Gyarados! Don't be rude!” She couldn’t lose the small amount of trust she had with the flock, otherwise, both her research project and capture plans would go up in smoke. Thankfully they didn’t react too badly to the aggression, deciding to approach Metagross and Aegislash instead. The two were annoyed, but Aegislash eventually let it try some. It dipped its leek into the curry, putting the end in its mouth and biting off a portion. 

Pyrrha watched closely as the Farfetch’d blank face quickly turned to an excited grin. It squawked in delight, prompting more Farfetch’d to approach and gather around Aegislash’s food dish. The sword was clearly unhappy, so Pyrrha quickly rushed over trying to get them away.

“Hold on! You can all take from my plate instead!” She pulled back her Pokémon’s food and placed her bowl on the ground, all of the Farfetch’d gathering around it completely enraptured. 

‘There goes my dinner.’ Pyrrha pouted internally. If she made more now it would cut her rations down severely, then she wouldn’t have anything by the time Thursday came, and they weren’t getting picked up until Sunday either. Taking a seat back on her log a partially eaten bowl of curry was soon presented to her. Blaziken decided to give her the rest of theirs, seeing as the Farfetch’d had muscled in. Pyrrha briefly debated whether to decline the offer, but a loud growl from her stomach quickly decided for her.

“Thanks, girl. I’ll make sure you get something special when we get back to Beacon.” Blaziken sat down cross-legged to meditate some more, acting as if giving up the rest of her dinner wasn’t a big deal. They always did have a special bond unique from her other Pokémon. Blaziken was her very first one after all, way back when she was a level five Torchick.

She scarfed it down without complaint, still hungry afterward but feeling far better with something in her gut. Now wasn’t the time to be wasteful with food rations. Otherwise, she’d need to scavenge which would take away from her research.

Now would actually be a good time to get some video recordings in. She really didn’t have a  
By yet, and the wild Pokémon were still very close by. Pulling up the video app she hit the record button and began speaking. 

“Hello everyone! This is Pyrrha Nikos at the southern base of Sanus Mountain. The time is currently 6:38 on Monday evening, and it’s been an interesting experience.” She turned her camera to face the Farfetch’d still huddled around her food bowl. “Trying to keep a respectable distance hasn’t gone well. They have absolutely no fear of me or my Pokémon. They’ve now discovered curry, so I’m starting to think I won’t see a good meal till the end of the week-“

A green object flew towards her, Pyrrha barely managing to catch it. She glanced down at the offending object. A piece of broken off the leek. Questioningly she looked up, seeing that Shiny had broken a piece of its spear off for her to eat. It grinned and chomped a bit off for himself.

“Thank you!” She smiled and took a bite of it. She probably should have rinsed it off beforehand, but she didn’t want to be rude. The SirFetch’d took her thanks as an invite to come closer, stepping into her circle of Pokémon. He was eyeing all up from top to bottom. With his chest puffed and a nonchalant smirk, giving off a very confident, almost cocky air. Gyarados couldn’t have cared any less, choosing to head back to the river and relax. Her other Pokémon were far more curious at least. 

Absol approached it and sniffed, SirFetch’d taking no issue with the extra attention. The two seemed to have a brief conversation, followed by the SirFetch’d laughing and holding out its wings. It started pacing and pointing to various scars while squawking. Sadly she couldn’t understand Pokémon, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t record it. She took out her scroll and hit the record button, catching how Garchomp nodded along politely to the SirFetch’d’s rambling while Blaziken rolled her eyes. 

The bird reminded her of Professor Port in a way, and she couldn’t help but giggle at the thought of this Pokémon trying to run lectures. SirFetch’d stopped and looked over to her. Pyrrha smiled and waved her hands apologetically.

“I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be rude. You just remind me a lot of a certain teacher of mine.” SirFetch’d looked at her curiously. “He likes to talk about his past experience in Pokémon battles too. I’m sure you’d both get along.” She paused for a moment, contemplating her next move. This may be a good time to challenge it for a battle. Heck, if it was this eager to show off its battle scars to her Pokémon then the sentiment would be shared with other humans.

“You could meet him if you’d like.” She offered. “If you’d like a new challenge to face, I could introduce you to many tough opponents you’d never see all the way out here.” SirFetch’d took a moment to consider before scoffing and waddling back to its flock with an amused quack.

“Darn.” Pyrrha pouted. Garchomp growled before pushing her head on Pyrrha’s lap, making a deep purring noise and looking up at her questioningly. 

“Don’t worry girl. We’ll convince him soon.” She smiled and scratched her fin reassuringly. This was unfortunate, but it was still early in the week. She would just need to take more time to get to know this SirFetch’d better. She looked down at her scroll again, realizing the video was still recording.

“A-and that’s all for now everyone!” Pyrrha hurriedly signed off trying to hide an embarrassed blush crossing her cheeks. Absol just gave her a look that made her feel more humiliated. All of her Pokémon were, and all she could do was cover her face.

Gods she needed to hold herself together. Maybe she really wasn’t ready for this class trip after all. Hopefully, that would be the worst thing that happened for the rest of the week.

XxxxxxxxxxX

“Wednesday, 5:15 in the evening.” Pyrrha panted into the recorder on her scroll. She was high off the ground on a sheer cliff face, Absol watching closely from his perch above her. The Farfetch’d had the luxury of a small path that had been carved into the cliff face over time by past Pokémon. Sadly it was too narrow for Pyrrha to use, so she decided to climb instead. After a few hours, she determined going it without Pokémon help was probably a bad idea. Currently having what appeared to be a study ledge to rest on Pyrrha took out her scroll for a brief recording. 

“T-the Farferch’d *pant* have spent the last several days climbing the side of Sanus Mountain. I *pant* have been f-following them, a-and we seem to be *wheeze* c-close to the waterfall-WOAH!” She slipped when a rock beneath her foot crumbled. Her stomach was overtaken by a feeling of weightlessness as the mountainside slipped past her fingers and the plunge started. The mountainside erupted outwards quickly giving her an outcrop to land on. 

“T-thanks for the save Absol.” Pyrrha breathed, grateful her Pokémon knew Stone Edge. Absol was quick to leap down and make sure she was fine. Even the Farfetch’d and SirFetch’d had ceased their progress, all watching to see if she’d continue. Pyrrha took a few minutes to calm her nerves before looking up at the flock. “I’m okay! Carry on!” The Pokémon slowly got back to climbing, the Shiny staying behind and judging her next move.

“M-maybe I’ll remove that from the audio clip- Wait, where’s my scroll?” She looked around frantically realizing it fell from her hand. It didn’t take her long to locate what remained.

“Oh shoot!” She cursed a few times under her breath, careful not to be too loud about it. The scroll fell from her hand when she hit the outcrop, and it was completely cracked in half. Though she barely slipped three feet at most, it was too fragile to handle the damage. “Hopefully I won’t need to contact anyone, or the other way around…” She mumbled when Absol leaned in to examine the shattered object. Oh gods, what if her video and audio recordings were lost too? She had a point and click camera just in case of course, but knowing her foolish actions cost her such an important item had her agitated.

“That’s what I get for doing an audio recording on the side of a cliff.” She sighed.

“I think a little assistance would be the best idea.” She took out a poke ball only for Absol to nudge it away. He presented his back to her, looking back like he expected her to hop on. “Absol… I think I might be too big to ride you.” The shiny looked almost offended by that. She couldn’t help but chuckle, giving him a few scratches on the cheek. “I would feel a bit better on a larger Pokémon. I didn’t mean to upset you.” Absol seemed to understand but was clearly still salty about it. He turned away and huffed, Pyrrha taking out her selected Pokeball and tossing it.

Garchomp appeared in front of them, sniffing the air and looking at the small ledge they all stood on.

“Mind giving me a ride? We need to get up to the top.” She motioned to where the Far’fetched were climbing. Garchomp growled and allowed her to climb on.

Using the hooked claws on its arms it latched onto the side of the cliff and crawled sideways to get a better feel of the wind. It waited several minutes for a powerful updraft, letting go of the rocks and turning into the wind. Allowing the air to catch its fins, the shark Pokémon soared upwards in the wind spiral, riding the updraft until it started to lose power. They passed a quickly climbing Absol and the rest of the flock very quickly, the shiny SirFetch’d watching in wide-eyed shock. 

She couldn’t help but wave after the bird, the two quickly standing above the plateau surface. To her surprise, it was rest her grassy, plenty of plants and wildflowers growing along the banks of the waterfall. Amongst the tall grass were nests with Farfetch’d already sitting in them.

The two flew higher until the updraft lost power, Garchomp gliding the rest of the way onto the grassy plateau. Pyrrha dismounted and patted her Pokémon in thanks, too absorbed by the sight before her to give a proper thanks. Several SirFetch’d stood up and surrounded her, leeks pointed to her torso warningly. Garchomp put itself between her and the wild Pokémon with a warning growl.

“Wait! This is all a misunderstanding!” She held her arms up placatingly, though the SirFetch’d didn’t seem convinced. “I was with the traveling flock. I promise I’m not here to attack you-“

A squawk from the cliffside got all of them to quiet down. The shiny had reached the top of the plateau along with the rest of the flock, all rushing up to her and the other SirFetch’d. Absol was trapped behind them, unable to break through the crowd to reach her. 

While the shiny seemed to be talking the others down, nearly half of the traveling flock had crowded around her and Garchomp. They were looking at Garchomp’s fins with both curiosity and admiration. The shark seemed almost embarrassed by all the attention, which was apparently very positive.

“I’m sorry. I don’t understand what’s going on.” Pyrrha conceded. There was a lot of chaos around her currently, but thankfully none of the Pokémon seemed ready to attack her anymore. The shiny had talked down the other SirFetch’d, and though they were still wary of her they all returned to their post. Finally, Pyrrha had a better view of what was going on around her. The older FarFetch’d and SirFetch’d had gone off to meet up with others currently sitting in their nest, all of them receiving eager greetings from the nesters. She pulled out her notebook and began writing.

‘Wednesday, 5:28 in the evening,

The flock had reached its destination, which to my surprise is a nesting ground. I didn’t realize it initially, but I believe the flock I was following consisted of only males. The Pokémon already at the nesting site are all female from what I can tell, which will require closer observation to prove.’

She honestly wished FarFetch’d had at least some sexual dimorphism between genders, which would make her current theory easier to figure out. If she was right though, that meant it was egg laying season for the FarFetch’d, and she was just given access to very important grounds.

The females were crawling out of their nest revealing already laid eggs, their mates taking their spots in the nest to keep them warm.

“I didn’t know both parents cared for the eggs.” Pyrrha whispered with a small smile. She started hitting down more notes only for a strong gust of wind to nearly knock her over. She decided to edge her way around the crowd of juveniles still flicking around Garchomp, taking a seat on a rock away from the nest. 

This was really a beautiful place to raise babies. The plateau wasn’t too massive. The mountain continued only a hundred yards off from the edge they climbed, giving some protection from strong winds and harsh evening sunlight. The waterfall and river provided a great source of clean water, and it was hard for potential predators to reach. She just wished her scroll was still working to videotape it. She settled on the next best thing, digging out her disposable camera and snapping photos of the nesting site.

Absol was eager to join her, finally getting around the mob of bird Pokémon and laying down near her bag.

“Has the climb worn you out that much?” She giggled, but Absol was ignoring her. She blinked, following his gaze to see dark clouds several miles off in the distance. It was a surprise to see something like that, though. When they had traveled through the woods it was practically impossible to see the sky through the canopy of leaves. During the mountain climb, she was more focused on not falling then the sky, so she hadn’t noticed anything like that before. Some of the older Farfetch’d and SirFetch’d were watching them too, now that the chaos from Pyrrha’s arrival had passed. Even the shiny was eyeing the sky, his pupils narrowed at the storm that was still miles away from them. 

“Those don’t look good.” She murmured to Absol. Though she feared what a storm like that could bring, she hadn’t received anything on her scroll during the week about storm warnings. It probably wouldn’t be anything too serious then, just enough to drench everything and ruin any campsites she builds. Too bad it was broken now…

“Think you can use Stonedge to make a shelter on the cliff wall?” She asked Absol. The Pokémon began eyeing the rock wall behind them, walking until he found a portion of rock already sunken into the mountainside. He erected three separate walls from the mountainside, creating a simple shelter with a rock roof. 

“It’s perfect Absol, thank you.” She went into her new shelter and started clearing a spot for a campfire, not expecting Garchomp to rush in followed by her new followers of young Farfetch’d. The land shark didn’t look as pleased as Pyrrha was about it. Absol sunk further back into the shelter trying to stay hidden from the mob, but their focus was fully on Garchomp.

“Wow, Garchomp. It looks like you have a fan club now.” She giggled much to Garchomp’s dismay. She noticed some of the juveniles had set their leeks down and climbed on top of her stone shelter. they took turns jumping off trying to glide like Garchomp had, only they weren’t capable of flight like Kanto Farfetch’d were. They seemed determined though, some of them even tugging on Garchomp’s tail trying to get her attention. 

“I think they want you to give them some pointers.” Pyrrha commented. She leaned in whispering a last message to her Pokémon. “If you keep them out long enough for me to cook dinner, I’ll buy you extra Yache berries from the market when we get back.” Garchomp considered the offer before inhaling deeply with a determined nod. She walked out of the shelter with her new following close behind. Pyrrha worked double speed to get everything set up, both in preparation for the storm, and to save Garchomp’s sanity.

XxxxxxxxxxX

*Meanwhile at Beacon*

Headmaster Ozpin sat back in his desk chair, having just gotten off the phone with their bullhead providers. He just received some troublesome news, and he knew Glynda wouldn’t be happy about it. A hurricane was rolling in off the coastline, and it happened to be passing over the Sanus Mountains, the same area where their field researching class was currently set up. At first, it only ranked as a tropical storm, nothing his students couldn’t handle. Now with the intensity growing to a category three, he feared far more for their safety. Last-minute plans for evacuation had been underway, but with the news he had just received a rescue would be impossible.

A soft coo on the left caught his attention. His Xatu was looking at him worriedly, trapping his arm with her beak.

“Hey, there girl.” He whispered softly while stroking her green feathers. Xatu had the ability to see both the past and the future, and he could only contemplate what visions made her so anxious. None of the scenarios he came up with were pleasant.

The door to his office opened revealing a stern-looking Glynda with her Murkrow flying in behind her. She was walking and tapping away at her tablet simultaneously, not looking pleased.

“I’ve sent evacuation notifications to the students. When can they expect the bullheads to arrive?”

“The bullheads won’t be going.” Ozpin sighed. “The storm has already reached the closest bullhead docking locations and they won’t fly in this weather. Any other ones we send won’t make it in time.”

“What?!” Glynda snapped just as Ozpin expected. “There are students in those mountains, surrounded by trees and rivers and gods know what else the storm could rip from the ground. We need to get them out before it hits.” Ozpin hummed as her Murkrow came to a rest on his desk phone, knowing better than to sit on Glynda’s shoulder when she got worked up like this. 

“Glynda, I believe we are taking this out of proportion. Our students are capable of riding out this storm. You only allowed the best of our upperclassmen to take this course after all, and trainers will often face bad weather when out in the field.” 

“But it’s a hurricane.”

“It will weaken as it travels inland where the mountains are. It won’t be that strong when it reaches the research site.” 

“What about flooding and downed trees? If the rivers overflow then the whole lower valley could flood.”

“Our students have scrolls without them, correct?” Ozpin inquired. “Send out an emergence warning for them to seek higher ground and bunker down.” Glynda looked like she wanted to argue more, but Ozpin held up a hand to stop her. “It’s up to the students now and their Pokémon. I know they will all make it out okay.”

“How can you be sure?” She inquired.

“A little birdie told me.” He motioned to Xatu and chucked. Glynda shook her head but pulled her scroll out regardless. She sent out an emergency broadcast to the students in her class, all students messaging back that they received the message. All except for Pyrrha Nikos.

“Fine, but I want a full damage report once the storm has passed. If the region is too flooded I want an immediate evacuation.” She turned away and began walking out of the office, her Murkrow flying off behind her.

“Try not to stress yourself too badly.” Ozpin tried to add but the door was already shut. Shaking his head he returned to stroking Xatu’s feathers, looking out at the sky through the large window behind his desk. 

He had to maintain faith in his students. 

They would be okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 2 is finally here! And we ending on a cliffhanger sadly, but hopefully the payoff will be worth the wait.
> 
> Leave a comment if you enjoyed! They always make my day.


	3. Facing the Storm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pyrrha and the flock are stuck in a horrible storm. Will they live to see the morning?

The winds had been gradually picking up speed after the sun had set, Pyrrha wrapping her sleeping bag over her shoulders, watching the FarFetch’d and taking notes with the little light she still had. The Pokémon were definitely nervous, some of the parents especially distressed by the change in air pressure. She hadn't realized initially, but this was shaping up to be a massive storm, and the flock was trying to prepare for it. Though this place was safe from potential predators and had plenty of resources, she quickly realized it was exposed to the weather on three sides, and there weren’t any caves deep enough to hold everyone. Many of the females had started building up nesting material between the exterior of her shelter and the cliff wall, while the males set their leeks down and started carrying eggs to the massive singular nest.

Even with her eyes adjusted to dark it was still a struggle to make out what was happening. The moon was completely blocked by cloud cover, and sprinkles of water were starting to mix in with the growing wind storm.

“I really don’t like this.” She murmured to Absol now digging out a headlamp from her backpack. It took her a few minutes to find, but once her fingers brushed against the fabric strap she was quick to attach it to her head and flip the red headlight on. Though it was harder to see with then the floodlight function, she wouldn’t be harming the FarFetch'd or Absol’s vision with the red lantern. Unfortunately, it also created a near horror movie vibe as the rain turned from a drizzle to a heavy pour. The winds were blowing into the mouth of her shelter nearly ripping the notebook from her fingers. She shoved it in the bag quickly and clutched it as another cold gust nearly blew her backwards. She could also hear rushing water, likely the chunk of the river was flooding with the massive amounts of rain. If the winds didn’t take them out the water might finish the job. 

Some of the FarFetch’d were struggling to get to the safe spot, and she even heard the unmistakable sound of an egg cracking. They weren’t going to survive next to her shelter. They needed better protection!

Rushing to the mouth of her cave she screamed over the winds. “In here everyone! It’s safer from the storm!”

Some of the FarFetch’d stopped their march to look over at her questioningly. She used exaggerated gestures trying to get them to understand without getting blown sideways by the massive wind gust. 

“Move your eggs in here! There’s plenty of room! Quickly!”

She wasn’t sure if it was pride, or they were unable to hear her over the winds, but the Farfetch’d and SirFetch’d continued placing their eggs next to her shelter. She bit her lip unsure what to do, looking to Absol for assistance.

“Use stone edge on the other side of the Farfetch’d! We need to protect the eggs on both sides!” Absol nodded and leapt over the huddled flock. They looked to him, watching as he erected another wall to protect them from the side with the waterfall. Some of the Farfetch’d squawked angrily while others ignored the act and hunkered down over the brood like a sort of flesh tarp. Any SirFetch’d were facing their shields to the outside trying to protect against debris, but given how light they were it was a struggle to stay in place. Those uncovered were being struck by freezing rains and flying branches, the winds nearly sucking a few into the sky. Many of the younger Farfetch’d especially were on the verge of panicking, while the older ones gritted their teeth in hopes of saving the brood.

This wasn’t working. 

“Metagross!” Pyrrha held her Pokeball out, summoning the massive metal Pokémon to her. “Block the entrance! We need to keep the eggs safe!” She shouted over the winds. Metagross did as instructed. Leaning itself so his stomach was facing the interior like a round crooked door. It dug its front claws into the rock roof of the shelter for more leverage, patiently taking the full force of the rain, winds and flying branches scraping its back. 

“Absol! Create a flood barrier with Stone Edge! Keep the water at bay!” Absol did as asked, throwing his head forward making five squares of ground erupt like a crudely formed damn. It stopped more of the water from spreading onto land, now sending it towards the second waterfall to combine with the massive rapids below. She hoped that would be enough. Absol was out of PP for that move. 

It was loud, cold, and chaotic. She could barely keep track of anything happening around her.

She did manage to spot something large and ovular rolling past her shelter, completely exposed and unprotected from the element. 

“An egg?!” There was no mistaking it, and the poor thing was about to get crushed. Without a second thought she rushed directly into the harsh winds, trying to keep her weight low to the ground just to stop herself from blowing over. The egg was rolling with the wind and no Farfetch’d were able to get to it. It had to be her.

“Got it! GYAHHHH!” Pyrrha screamed when a rogue branch smacked her legs, making her fall. Cradling the egg she twisted just in time for her side hit the wet ground with a hard thud instead of the egg, the tempest sending her rolling back into one of Absol’s erected rocks by the waterfall. She managed to force herself into a shield around the egg, harsh freezing wind pelting her back like icy hard stones. 

She needed to get Gyarados. If she could reach his Pokeball he would make a barrier against the storm, even use Ice Beam to make a temporary shelter. She just couldn’t grab the Pokeball without her grip loosening on the egg.

Something came up quickly behind her, a large object held protectively over her head while a wing gripped her back. She glanced up, knowing immediately who it was by their reassuring smirk. The shiny had rushed out to protect her and the egg, and his wing was enough to hold the egg in place while Pyrrha reached for her Pokeball.

“Gyarados! Make a wall with Ice Beam!” The massive dragon erupted into existence, immediately creating a wall sandwiching the group between the rocks and ice. Gyarados roared, wrapping its long body protectively around the two and peaking up into the storm. He acted like the tempest was nothing more than an annoying breeze, huffing in annoyance and resting his head on the stone wall.

Pyrrha let out a long held breath and collapsed the rest of the way, panting heavily from the sudden loss in adrenalin. That was too close. She could have died just then.

But she didn’t.

The egg was in one piece, she was still breathing, and the shiny was watching her carefully. His feathers were wet and ruffled with some clear damage to his shield, but otherwise, he seemed in good health.

“Thank you so much for the help.” Pyrrha bowed her head slightly in thanks. “For a second I thought I was done for.”

“Squawk!” It grinned smugly, ignoring the loud howling wind and sprinkles of water still hitting them. It beckoned for the egg, getting Pyrrha to go hand it over quickly.

“S-Sorry! I didn’t find any damage on it so I think it’s okay.”

The SirFetch’d examined the egg himself. After finding no visible issues it placed the egg on the ground and sat on top of it, doing his best to keep it warm through the low temperatures.

Pyrrha herself was drenched, cold and a bit sore, but she quietly sat huddling close to Gyarados for warmth. She would have brought Blaziken out, but there wasn’t enough room between her and SirFetch’d.

They waited until the winds died down and the rain ceased. Pyrrha dozed off at some point during the night, and when she awoke the sun was peeking through a peaceful sky. 

“I think it’s safe to move. What do you think?” She looked to SirFetch’d for his opinion. He nodded in agreement, Pyrhha giving Gyarados several pats on the torso. 

“Thank you for your help. I’ll make sure you get some extra treats when we get back.” Gyarados roared in response, Pyrrha smiling and recalling the dragon back to its Pokeball. There was still a wall of damaged ice on one side and a raised rock wall on the other. She took out Blaziken next, the Pokémon being taken aback by all the damage.

“Sorry, it’s a long story. Think you can melt the ice?” She requested. Blaziken made quick work of the barrier with its fire attacks, revealing the true extent of the damage. The entire nesting site was destroyed, grass and other materials caught in branches or spread in muddy messes across the ground. Near the cliff side sat her old shelter, Metagross, and the Farfetch'd climbing from their refuge and taking stock of the situation.

Absol rushed in without warning, nuzzling his face into her chest and looking over her various cuts and bruises.

“I promise I’m fine. Sorry to worry you.” A few reassuring scratches on the chin was enough to satiate him for now, though he was still clearly tired. The Farfetch’d cleaned up what they could, and Pyrrha and her team helped out as well. By the time they were done, the nesting area had been somewhat restored to a functional site, and the flock had only lost two eggs during that entire storm, and thanks to Pyrrha, a third egg had been spared. She was surprised when the FarFetch’d surrounded her, smiling and chirping gratefully.

“I’m happy I could help in a small way.” Pyrrha smiled politely. “I just wish I could have done more.” She blinked when the flock parted, a proud white SirFetch’d and the shiny walking up side by side next to each other. She was pretty sure the white one was female, though it was still difficult to tell.

“Squawk!” The Shiny cooed happily. The other FarFetch’d echoed that sentiment.

“I don’t think I follow. What’s going on?” 

Her question was answered when bother SirFetch’d removed a single feather from one of their wings. They handed them to her, cawing again and smiling.

“T-thank you! I don’t know what to say.” And she really didn’t. Pyrrha was pretty sure she was just accepted into the flock as one of theirs, and the feathers were meant to be symbolic of that.

The flock all quacked and squawked in celebration. Crowding around her and her Pokémon trying to congratulate her.

They all parted when the shiny gave a commanding call. He stepped forward to face Pyrrha, drawing his spear and shield on a battle stance.

“Wait… you really wish to battle me? Are you sure?”

“Squawk!” The SirFetch’d responded with a confident smirk. Pyrrha couldn’t help but chuckle. This was what she had wanted since first spying the bird all those days ago. Normally things came so easily to her. She couldn’t remember the last time she had genuinely been challenged by anyone or anything.

To accomplish this, however, she literally had to face the worst nature had to offer to prove herself, and now it was happening. This victory felt so earned, and she couldn’t come down from her glee.

“Alright then.” She pulled a Pokeball from her belt. “In that case, I choose-“

“PYRRHA!” She paused at hearing her name, spotting Velvet flying over on her Altaria. Jumping from her Pokémon’s back she rushed to Pyrrha’s side. “Thank goodness you’re okay! Professor Goodwitch has been trying to contact you for hours but you weren’t answering your scroll!”

“She has?” Pyrrha blinked.

“We all have.” Velvet corrected. “We thought something happened to you in that storm, and now you're all banged up!” She started looking at the scrapes and bruises on the visible sections of Pyrrha’s legs and face, though she was quick to step away despite the sting in her muscles.

“It’s okay, nothing life threatening I promise.” She smiled reassuringly. “Sorry, I took a tumble yesterday and destroyed my scroll in the process.”

“Well, that’s one mystery solved. I’m just glad you’re okay. I’ll go ahead and let Miss Goodwitch know.” She pulled out her scroll to make the call, only now taking notice of the troop of several dozen FarFetch’d and SirFetch’d now watching her carefully. 

The shiny was tapping his foot impatient, clearly ready to get this battle started and for this intruder to leave. 

“Could you leave and come back perhaps? I was about to do something important.” Pyrrha chuckled. Velvet looked between her, the shiny SirFetch’d, and the feathers currently adorning her hair.

“O-Oh! Of course! I-I’ll just be on the other side of the cliff when you’re done.”

“I’ll meet you there when I’m finished.” Pyrrha waved Velvet off as she quickly hopped onto her Altaria and took off. The flock relaxed as soon as she was out of sight, parting enough to form a generously sized area for the upcoming battle. SirFetch’d got low into a fighting poison, and Absol has stepped forward to stand in front of Pyrrha. Apparently, he really wanted to fight.

“Very well then. Let’s begin!”

XxxxxxxxxxxxX

“PYRRHA!!!” Nora tackled the Champion in the tightest bear hug she could muster, her Totodile joining her making the three fall to the ground.

“I-it’s nice to see you too.” Pyrrha rasped out painfully. Even if she wasn’t hurt that badly, she had suffered some bruising and scrapes from the flying debris and the tumble she took. Nora just happened to grab her in one such bruised place.

“Nora, please. We are still in the infirmary.” Ren sighed, already having issues with his own Pokémon. His Hattrem was sitting on top of his head like an actual hat. She came out of the Pokeball on her own, angry that his Abra had scored another piggyback ride on Ren’s shoulders.

It was safe to say he had his own hands full.

“Get off Nora! Can’t you tell that hurts her.” Jaune tried pulling Nora off though she wasn’t eager to let go.

“I’m not hurting her! Right Pyrrha?”

“S-Sorry, but can I get a chance to breathe now?” She smiled already feeling guilty about possibly hurting Nora’s feelings.

The red head dropped her immediately.

“I’m so sorry Pyrrrha! I didn’t know!”

Even her Totodile looked ready to cry from their mistake.

“It’s okay. Please don't be upset.” She smiled reassuringly, trying to hide her relief from getting the weight off her banged up rib cage.

“I still can’t believe you were caught up in a hurricane.” Ren commented. “Of all the times for one to make landfall, it had to be on your trip.”

“And with your scroll broken too!” Nora added. “You could have died!”

Pyrrha noticed Jaune flinch at hearing those words. She had a feeling he felt responsible for what happened, as silly as that may be. He never directly said it, but the way he looked at her as soon as he walked in to visit, he looked like a puppy that had been kicked in the side. 

She looked over to Nora, trying to motion to the door then back to Jaune. It took her a moment to catch on.

“Ren! We should work on the homework for Port’s class!”

“But I thought we already did it-“

“Port’s class!” She grabbed his free hand and pulled him out of the infirmary, giving Pyrrha a knowing wink right before she stepped out.

Jaune just blinked at the whole interaction.

“Well, that was unusual, even for them.”

“I’m sure it was very important.” Pyrrha shrugged. “Anyway, I wanted to-“

“Hold on. I brought you something.” He rummaged through his book bag, grabbing the wrapped paper bag that had been sitting in it. Carefully he unwrapped a container with a hard boiled Chansey egg sitting inside. It was still steaming a bit.

“As soon as Chansey heard you were in the infirmary she was more than eager to have me cook one for you.” 

“I don’t know why they are keeping me here. It’s just a few scrapes and bruises.”

“But you were stuck in a hurricane!”

“That’s not mentioning the cliff…” She mumbled under her breath. She remembered being angry at Jaune for falling down one. Yet here she was doing the same thing, plus adding severe winds and rain exposure to that as well.

“What was that?” He asked. “Did you mention a cliff?”

“I-I… that boiled egg looks amazing Jaune! May I have it?”

“R-right! Sorry about that.” He forgot about his question in his alarm, thumbling through his bag for a fork and handing it to her. She shoved her face in the egg not wanting to worry him more.

Pyrrha had to say, this was the most amazing thing she’s tasted in a while. She knew Chancey eggs were supposed to be rare delicacies in the culinary arts, but she didn’t know it would be THIS good. She could feel her sore muscles and bruised skin numbing a bit from the egg's healing properties. She wasn’t in peel condition by any means, but she felt far better.

“That was amazing Jaune. Thank you very much.” She smiled. Jaune shook his head and pulled a Pokeball out.

“If anyone should be thanked it’s Chansey.” He released the shiny Pokemon from its capsule, the yellow colored Chansey rushing over to her clearly worried. 

“I’m okay girl. Thank you very much for the egg.” Pyrrha smiled and gave her a few scratches on the side of the head. Chansey just seemed happy that Pyrrha was in decent health.

But now, how would she present Jaune with his gift? Would it be weird to do it in the infirmary? He still looked a bit upset. She was too excited to wait too long though. She just wanted to see the look on his face when he saw it.

“Are you sure you’re alright Pyrrha? You look a little antsy.” He gestured to the hand tapping the side of her chair without her knowing.

Screw it. She couldn’t wait anymore.

“Come with me!” She quickly stood up and pulled him towards the door. He barely had time to recall Chansey before being yank off balance.

“W-Wait! You’re not discharged yet!”

She ignored him, feeling an extra rush of giddy adrenalin at breaking the rules. Leaving the infirmary without a proper discharge. It was so far outside her comfort zone.

“Why the battle arena?!” Jaune questioned as they came to a stop right in the middle of it.

Pyrrha couldn’t help but giggle in anticipation.

“So, I know you really wanted to come with me on the field trip.”

“W-what?! Of course not! I was just happy you got to participate!”

“.... Jaune.” All she had to do was give him a look for his will to break.

“Okay yeah, I kind of wanted to go…. maybe if I was there you wouldn’t have gotten hurt.”

“You know it was an individual project. We weren’t allowed to travel with partners.”

“Well yeah-“

“So stop feeling bad, okay? It would have happened regardless.” She took the Pokeball out of her bag. “Besides, I made some new friends along the way. I’m sure you’ll be excited to meet at least one of them.”

“Does it have something to do with the feathers in your hair?” He gestured to the pristine plumage. She just smiled knowingly.

“One of my new friends is very interested in meeting you.” She handed him the Pokeball. 

“You had to use a Timer Ball?” Jaune questioned, looking rather puzzled. “I didn’t even know you carried Timer Balls.”

“Well, I really wanted to use a Luxury Ball, but he was a bit too stubborn for that.” She didn’t want to admit that she had only brought one Luxury Ball, and the SirFetch’d was so eager to keep going that it broke out of it. She only had three spare balls after to work with so she had to be extra careful.

“W-wow, I’m kind of scared to see the Pokémon that gave you that much trouble.”

“Please don’t be! I’m sure you will both get along very well!” She waved her arms trying to settle his suspicion. Thankfully he eventually let it go, looking down at the Pokeball again.

“Alright. Let’s see what’s inside.” Jaune tossed it, yellow and black orbs resembling clock faces spinning out in a brief light show, clearing to form SirFetch’d in all his cocky, golden glory.

Pyrrha was practically bouncing in place from excitement. She needed to know what he thought, but he remained oddly quiet.

“Jaune? W-what do you think?” She glanced over feeling a bit nervous, only to see he was staring at the thing with big, sparkling eyes. He looked like a child that just got a puppy for Christmas. 

“P-Pyrrha… you caught a SirFetch’d…”

“Yes, I did.” She giggled a bit at his tone of both disbelief and joy.

“And it’s shiny…”

“Yes, it is.”

“Your team is half shinies now! That’s so cool!” He looked at her with genuine admiration. She shook her head at his misunderstanding.

“N-no! It’s… it’s not actually for me.” She took his hand and forced his fingers tight around the ball. “I caught it for you.”

It took a minute for him to find his voice again.

“W-what? Really?! Y-you really want to give it to me? Are you sure?” He looked between her and the smug golden duck. “You'd have THREE shinies on your team! Nobody has three shinies on their Pokémon team. It’s unheard of to see people with more than ONE! How could you pass up a chance like this?! I can’t let you!”

Jaune tried forcing the Pokeball back into her hands, but she refused it. 

“You wish to know my reasoning?” She closed her eyes and thought back on that wonderful evening. 

The evening they officially became a couple.

“You had a chance to complete your team of six Pokémon, with a beautiful shiny Absol no less. Instead, you gifted it to me. I assume you know the reason why you chose to do that with Absol, yes?”

“Y-yeah…” Jaune nodded dumbly. It started to finally dawn on him that Pyrrha was being dead serious. He placed both hands on her shoulder and breathed. “I just need to ask one last time. You’re positive about this?” 

“Of course I am. He is your Pokémon now.” Pyrrha smiled happily. “Congratulations on filling out your whole team-“

She barely had a chance to yelp when Jaune came in, lips touching her own. Warm breath against her mouth and the smell of sweet homemade bar soap that his family liked to mail him. 

Electricity ran up and down her spine like a Pichu accidentally shocked her, and she couldn’t help but lean further into his body, only realizing what she was doing when he started pulling away.

His cheeks were bright red, but he still looked excited despite the sudden embarrassment.

“I-I take it you accept the gift?” She hoped the heat in her own cheeks wasn’t manifesting in a blush like Jaune’s had. Thankfully, if they were he didn’t comment. He just smiled like this was the best day of his life.

“Did I ever tell you how amazing you are?”

“All the time.” She giggled.

“Well let me emphasize that I don’t say it enough. Your the best girlfriend a guy could ask for-“

“Quack!” Both trainers looked down at the sudden noise, having forgotten SirFetch’d was still standing there. He had seen the entire emotional encounter, and was looking at them both impatiently.

“R-right!! I’m sorry!” Pyrrha pulled out of Jaune’s arms and took a step back, her boyfriend looking disappointed. “You two should get to know each other! You haven’t properly introduced yourselves.”

“G-good point!” It took a second for Jaune to realize how rude they were being. “Sorry to not say hello. My name is Jaune Arc. I suppose you’ll be working with me from now on.”

The SirFetch’d grinned and posed with his shield and lance, getting Jaune to squeal. 

“You're so cool! I can’t help it! That lance and shield are badass!” Jaune ogled and awed, watching every single move the blonde SirFetch’d made. The bird was extremely happy with the praise, showing off all its old battle scars and puffing its chest like a hot shot. Finally Jaune stood up, having remembered something important.

“This is so perfect! I’ve been meaning to catch a Pokemon that can learn Fly. Now I won’t get stranded out in the forest so easily!” Jaune beamed. 

The shiny’s smug grin instantly fell.

Pyrrha could only chuckle awkwardly. She had forgotten Jaune wanted a Pokémon that could learn that move, which presented the next issue.

“About that… SirFetch’d… can’t learn fly.”

“... but… he’s a bird Pokémon…. and he has wings.” 

Pyrrha shook her head sympathetically. “They all hiked to their breeding grounds, no flight involved-“

“Quack!” SirFetch’d protested.

“D-don't worry! I think he can learn Fly using an HM!”

“Squawk!” The duck lifted the weapons held in both wings and huffed.

“That… does present a good question.” Pyrrha scratched her chin thoughtfully. “If SirFetch’d could learn Fly, what would he do with his weapons while flying? Maybe use his feet to hold them? Then again, how would he lift you up?”

Jaune just looked at her quietly, then back down to the now very self conscious and irritated SieFetch’d. He tried to salvage the situation.

“I-it’s okay that you can’t fly buddy! We’ll get along without it-“

“... QUACK!”

“I’m sorry!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woooooo! Finally the Arkos moment! And good news is there will be one more chapter! I had a fabulous idea for an ending bit, but but I think I want to create some art to accompany it. 
> 
> Also a big thank you to ChrisRainicorn for beta reading this chapter and helping me out with the more romantic bits! She’s a life saver XD
> 
> Leave a comment if you enjoyed! They always make my day.


End file.
